Wednesday, March 7, 2012

TRIPOLI — Libyan leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said on Wednesday he would defend national unity “with force” if necessary, after tribal leaders and politicians declared autonomy for the eastern region of Cyrenaica.

“We are not prepared to divide Libya,” Abdel Jalil said as he called on leaders in Cyrenaica to engage in dialogue and warned them that there were remnants of the regime of slain leader Muammar Gaddafi in their ranks.

“They should know that there are infiltrators and remnants of Gaddafi’s regime trying to exploit them now and we are ready to deter them, even with force,” he said in televised remarks at a conference in Misrata held to unveil a draft national charter.

“The national charter contains provisions that protect this nation and it is like a constitution for Libya’s future,” Abdel Jalil said of the draft document, which was later posted online. Read More